Buffalo Movies: Film Focus is your guide to new films opening and what’s currently showing in theaters across WNY

(Above: Musk. Image via IMDB.com).

By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK:

CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN’ (R) Actor James McAvoy moves behind the camera for this comedy based on the true story of a Scottish rap duo who pretended to be from California in order to get attention from journalists. Starring Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross. Regal Transit

CRAWLERS (R) Residents of a quarantined apartment building fight off an infestation of poisonous spiders. Starring Matilda Lutz, Gregg Sulkin, William Miller and Melina Matthews. Directed by Angel Gómez Hernández. Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

THE DEVILS (1971, NC-17) The long suppressed full cut of director Ken Russell’s controversial historical drama starring Oliver Reed as a libertine priest in 17^th century France and Vanessa Redgrave as the repressed nun who accuses him of witchcraft. Market Arcade, Regal Quaker

JAILER 2 (NR) Rajinikanth reprises his role as a retired corrections officer in this Tamil sequel. With Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Mirnaa and Rithvik. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar. Regal Elmwood

MUSK (R) Oscar winning documentarian Alex Gibney, who has made films about some of the most pressing issues of our time, aims his camera at one of the world’s two most hated men. Regal Transit

NAYYI NAVELLI (NR) Hindi-language comedy horror about a perfect bride who may actually be an evil spirit. Starring Yami Gautam, Adinath Kothare, and Mita Vashisht. Directed by Balaji Mohan Regal Elmwood

NAZA (NR) Documentary built around interviews with 24 Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers who describe how AI systems were used in the mass killings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor (No Other Land). Market Arcade

PRAHAAR: THE UNTOLD STORY OF UJJWAL NIKAM (NR) Hindi biopic about the public prosecutor famed for his work on terrorism cases. Starring Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Lalit Prabhakar. Directed by Avinash Arun. Regal Elmwood

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (PG) Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw star in a new adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. Directed by Georgia Oakley (Blue Bird). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

STREET FIGHTER (PG-13) Third live-action adaptation of the video game series. Starring Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Jason Momoa. Directed by Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

TRUST ME, I’M A DOCTOR (R) Kal Penn as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, who life is turned upside down after the death of his patient Anna Nichols Smith. With Londa Hamilton and Abbie Cornish. Directed by Thane Economou. Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker

WHALEFALL (PG-13) A scuba diver (Austin Abrams) looks for an escape route after he is swallowed by a sperm whale. With Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, and John Ortiz. Directed by Brian Duffield (No One Will Save You). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING (R) Documentarians Lance Oppenheim (Some Kind of Heaven) and Nathan Fielder (the HBO series “The Rehearsal”) team up for this critically lauded look at Elizabeth Holmes in the month before she entered prison for defrauding investors. AMC Maple Ridge, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

YOU CAN’T LEAVE (R) Spooky cabin in the woods horror movie. Starring Spencer Boldman, Paola Andino, and Thomas Bauer. Directed by Scott Windhauser. Market Arcade

YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER (R) Mahershala Ali as a pious Muslim military man who has to use violence to protect his family. With John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, and Abubakr Ali. Directed by Bassam Tariq. Market Arcade, Regal Walden Galleria

NOW PLAYING:

DIGGER (R) The weirdly ageless Tom Cruise gets into old age drag to portray a rich industrialist trying to prevent a world-shattering disaster that he caused. With Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Jesse Plemons. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman). Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

FORGOTTEN ISLAND (PG) From DreamWorks Animation, a fantasy based on Philippine mythology about two friends trapped on an island that will slowly consumer their memories. With the voices of H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, and Jenny Slate. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado. Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria HEART OF THE BEAST (PG-13) Brad Pitt as a retired Army Special Forces veteran who must travel across 58 miles of Alaskan wilderness to safety with his dog after a plane crash. With J. K. Simmons. Directed by David Ayer (End of Watch). Aurora, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

OBSESSION (R) In a new variant on the classic story The Monkey’s Paw, a nerd is granted his wish for his childhood crush to become madly in love with him. Starring Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, and Cooper Tomlinson. Directed by Curry Barker (Milk & Serial). Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

THE ODYSSEY (R) Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the Greek epic detailing the return voyage of King Odysseus after the Trojan War. Starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. Regal Transit

OTHER MOMMY (R) From Blumhouse, another horror movie featuring a grotesquely grinning monster. Thought that had been played out by now. Starring Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass, and Karen Allen. Directed by Rob Savage (The Boogeyman). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

PRACTICAL MAGIC 2 (PG-13) Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, and Stockard Channing return in this sequel to the 1998 film. Directed by Susanne Bier (In a Better World). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

PRIMETIME (R) Robert Pattison as Chris Hansen, host of the 2000s reality crime show “To Catch a Predator.” With Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, and Bokeem Woodbine. Directed by Lance Oppenheim. Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

RESIDENT EVIL (R) Second reboot of the zombie video game. Starring Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser. Directed by Zach Cregger (Weapons). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

THE SOCIAL RECKONING (R) Adam Sorkin’s follow-up to The Social Network, focusing on revelations that Facebook ignored evidence that its product was harmful to its users. Starring Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Bill Burr, Betty Gilpin, and Billy Magnussen. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (PG-13) Tom Holland’s fourth appearance as the perennial Marvel comics superhero. With Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, and Marisa Tomei. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

VERITY (R) Best known for comedies like Wet Hot American Summer, director Michael Showalter moves into psychological horror for this story of a writer hired to ghost write the uncompleted novel of a famous author. Starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

ETC.

THE BLOB (1988, R) Director Chuck Russell and his co-writer Frank Darabont took a serious approach to remaking the 1958 movie best known for starring a young Steve McQueen, and the effort paid off. Starring Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Del Close and Candy Clark. Mon only – see individual theaters for show times. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

CANDYMAN (1992, R) Grad students investigating urban legends come across a murderous spirit haunting Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing project. Starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Kasi Lemmons, Xander Berkeley, and Vanessa Williams. Directed by Bernard Rose (Paperhouse). Fri only – see individual theaters for show times. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004, R) Better than you might expect remake of the 1978 George Romero classic about survivors battling a plague of zombies from the safety of a shopping mall. Starring Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer, Ty Burrell. Directed by Zack Snyder. Weds only – see individual theaters for show times. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

EVIL DEAD (2013, R) They should have booked Sam Raimi’s original. This remake stars Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, and Jessica Lucas, Directed by Fede Álvarez (Alien: Romulus). Tues only – see individual theaters for show times. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

LICENSE TO KILL (1989, PG) Timothy Dalton’s second and last appearance as James Bond, With Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto, Anthony Zerbe, and Benecio del Toro. Mon only – see individual theaters for show times. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984, R) When horror movies realized that they didn’t have to make any sense in order to make millions of dollars. Starring Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, and Johnny Depp. Fri 10 pm Market Arcade; Sun (see individual theaters for show times) Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria; Thurs 9:45 pm Dipson Amherst

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THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

AMC Maple Ridge, 4276 Maple Road, Amherst https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/buffalo/amc-maple-ridge-8

Angola Theatre, 72 N. Main St., Angola, NY https://angolatheatre.com/

Aurora Theater, 673 Main Street, East Aurora https://theauroratheatre.com/

Dipson Amherst, 3500 Main Street, Buffalo. www.dipsontheatres.com

Dipson Capitol Theater, 720 Builders Way, Niagara Falls www.dipsontheatres.com

Dipson Flix, 4901 Transit Road, Depew www.dipsontheatres.com

Dunkirk Multiplex, 10520 Bennett Road, Dunkirk https://www.dunkirkmultiplex.com/

Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center Cinema, 431 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo https://www.hallwalls.org/

Hamburg Palace, 31 Buffalo Street, Hamburg www.hamburgpalace.com

Joylan, 11 W. Main Street, Springville https://joylantheater.com/

North Park, 1428 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo https://northparktheatre.org/

Market Arcade, 639 Main St., Buffalo https://www.btmcinemas.com/our-locations/g0fz6-scene-one-market-arcade-cinemas/

Regal Elmwood, 2001 Elmwood Avenue., Buffalo https://www.regmovies.com/

Regal Quaker Crossing, 3450 Amelia Drive, Orchard Park https://www.regmovies.com/

Regal Transit, 6707 Transit Road. Williamsville https://www.regmovies.com/

Regal Walden Galleria, Galleria Mall, Cheektowaga https://www.regmovies.com/

Riviera Theater, 67 Webster Street, North Tonawanda https://rivieratheatre.org/

The Screening Room, www.screeningroom.net

Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, 23 S Main Street, Warsaw https://www.spotlighttheater.com/movie-theater/warsaw

Squeaky Wheel, Tri-Main Center, 2495 Main Street, Suite 310, Buffalo https://squeaky.org/

Transit Drive-In Theatre, 6655 S. Transit Road, Lockport https://www.transitdrivein.com